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For almost a week now, the Haitian men have been calling me Pastor Sam. It sounded weird and out of place at first, as I felt unworthy of such a title. At times, I don't even think think I am qualified to lead a Life Group in America, let alone pastor a church. But one very important thing I learned while on this trip is that we are all pastors in some ways (just like we are all missionaries). Whether it is at home pastoring to our family (wife and kids), or at our Life Groups, or in front of large congregations, we all have God stories/experiences that need to be communicated to the body of Christ. I became more comfortable with this title the more I thought about it this way.
The men's conference successfully wrapped up this morning. Chris Schultz summarized all that we had talked about during the week and we worshiped and prayed as a group (Haitian style - which means Creole songs and 7 minute prayers, each; no sarcasm here - each Haitian prayer is long, long, long). We concluded the morning with one last exercise for the men. We brought rocks into the church and had the men write their names and one aspect of the Anatomy of a Disciple (AOD) that they were committed to work on. Many of the men wrote things like "heart submitted" or "give like Jesus" or "mind formed." It was a very heartfelt moment watching these men commit to bettering their lives for Jesus.
The finished product of all these rocks was an altar that lays right outside the church. Our team is hopeful that next year the men will attend the conference again and will be able to go to the altar and find their rock, and meditate on their commitment. It was a symbolic and emotional morning. We are extremely grateful for the connections we made with the men. They were willing to learn throughout the week. The cultural differences didn't hinder their abilities to understand the AOD. And our team learned a ton about Haitian life, Haitian hardships, the Haitian church, and God's presence within the country.
We will continue to pray for our brothers in Haiti and pray for guidance regarding our involvement with the CFM organization, the churches and the people in Pignon. I encourage everyone reading this blog to faithfully pray about missions and your involvement in them. There is a huge need around the world and we have a great responsibility because we have been entrusted with so much. Blessings to all and thanks for the prayers. They were felt throughout our trip.